Stanley Cohen, PhD (1922-2020)

Dr. Cohen, along with research partner neurobiologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, discovered the first growth factor, epidermal growth factor (EGF), a hormone-like protein that regulates cell responses such as proliferation and differentiation. For this discovery Cohen and Levi-Montalcini were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1986.

Dr. Cohen, a native New Yorker, came to Vanderbilt in 1959 and spent the remainder of his career there. His famous laboratory was located on the 7th floor of Light Hall. He spent his career at Vanderbilt exploring the chemistry and biology of EGF.

In 1976 he was appointed an American Cancer Society Research Professor and in 1986 a Distinguished Professor. Across the span of his career, Dr. Cohen was the recipient of numerous honors and distinctions for his insightful scientific discoveries, including the National Medal of Science and the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award. He was also named to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.